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Ghost Hunters #5
Dark Light
Reporter Sierra McIntyre's stories on Crystal City's ghost hunters—and their mysterious guild—have earned her tabloid a bit of respect. It helps that she has her incredible intuition to fall back on. Especially when she interviews Ghost Hunter Guild Boss John Fontana about the disappearances of retired, homeless hunters.
Sierra doesn't want to trust the physically and psychically powerful man, but her senses—and her pet dust bunny, Elvis—give her the green light. To uncover the conspiracy within his own organisation, Fontana proposes . . . marriage. And though it's purely a business arrangement, there is nothing pure about the attraction that sizzles between them.
Sierra doesn't want to trust the physically and psychically powerful man, but her senses—and her pet dust bunny, Elvis—give her the green light. To uncover the conspiracy within his own organisation, Fontana proposes . . . marriage. And though it's purely a business arrangement, there is nothing pure about the attraction that sizzles between them.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2008
395 people are currently reading
1457 people want to read
About the author
Jayne Castle
53 books2,159 followersThe author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
May 9, 2017
This series seemed like such a strange, mixed-bag type of thing when it started. It had so many odd things going on that almost didn't go together, and yet was entertaining enough. But, now I feel like it has settled into a definite identity. It is a very campy sci-fi romance. Why camp?
First of all: the language. This planet has psychic waves that the people "resonate" with, and amber helps them tune into the psychic flow. So, everything is either amber-related or "rezzed". Here's what I mean:
"We should take the results with a grain of amber"
Instead of a grain of salt. By the way, they DO have salt on this planet.
Curtain Cola
Instead of CocaCola. The "curtain" is the window that opened from Earth to this new planet.
"Son of a Ghost"
Instead of Son of a bitch. Ghosts are balls of psychic energy in this world.
"Ghost Shit!"
Instead of Bullshit! (They also have bulls on this world. They must. They eat cow meat.)
They were armed with knives and rez-ball bats
Instead of baseball bats. Just throw 'rez' in front of any word and you are able to speak the slang in this world.
It reminds me of either the old Batman thing:
Or maybe how McDonald's puts "Mc" in front of everything to make it their own.
So, the language is almost silly.
Next is the Dust Bunnies. In the first book, our heroine has a little dust bunny as her pet. This thing was the absolutely cutest thing ever and everyone fell in love with it. So, in each subsequent book, the author has added a dust bunny pet in for each heroine, and even one of the men had one once. Each dust bunny has been a little more elaborate than the last, and each story has featured the dust bunnies a little bit more. This is smart on the author's part because she is giving her audience what they want. I swear that some people read this series for the dust bunnies alone. Not me. Oh no, I am here for the jewelry, which I will explain in a minute. In this book, the dust bunny is an Elvis impersonator who wears a rhinestone cape and, by the way, flies around in his personal little hot air balloon made from a helium balloon and a cardboard basket. It's so freaking adorable that your teeth will ache. I'm not going to say that the author is pandering, but ... well, she's definitely playing to the crowd.... which is the definition of pandering.... so, I guess I am saying that.
Pander Bear is so great! He says everything I like!
And, speaking of Elvis, and yes, I've mentioned this before. The other thing that is OTT and campy in this book is the jewelry thing. The people here wear amber jewelry to help their psychic flow. So, the more amber jewelry, the better, right? Uh, yeah. It's a little hard to be attracted to the male character when he is described as wearing this:
Fontana wore amber. Even the buttons of his shirt and his cuff links were set with amber. So was his belt buckle, the face of his watch, and, of course, his seal ring.
yeah, that's the visual I get. And, I might live in the South, but Elvis does NOT rock my boat. By the time I was born, he was Fat Elvis and about to be Dead Elvis. I can't think of much that is less sexy than a man dripping in jewels, like the guys in these books.
So, basically, we have a series where the language is silly, there are ridiculously cute side-kicks, and men who are dripping in jewelry. Camp.
Will I keep reading? Oh, yeah. I'm a sucker for camp.
First of all: the language. This planet has psychic waves that the people "resonate" with, and amber helps them tune into the psychic flow. So, everything is either amber-related or "rezzed". Here's what I mean:
"We should take the results with a grain of amber"
Instead of a grain of salt. By the way, they DO have salt on this planet.
Curtain Cola
Instead of CocaCola. The "curtain" is the window that opened from Earth to this new planet.
"Son of a Ghost"
Instead of Son of a bitch. Ghosts are balls of psychic energy in this world.
"Ghost Shit!"
Instead of Bullshit! (They also have bulls on this world. They must. They eat cow meat.)
They were armed with knives and rez-ball bats
Instead of baseball bats. Just throw 'rez' in front of any word and you are able to speak the slang in this world.
It reminds me of either the old Batman thing:
Or maybe how McDonald's puts "Mc" in front of everything to make it their own.
So, the language is almost silly.
Next is the Dust Bunnies. In the first book, our heroine has a little dust bunny as her pet. This thing was the absolutely cutest thing ever and everyone fell in love with it. So, in each subsequent book, the author has added a dust bunny pet in for each heroine, and even one of the men had one once. Each dust bunny has been a little more elaborate than the last, and each story has featured the dust bunnies a little bit more. This is smart on the author's part because she is giving her audience what they want. I swear that some people read this series for the dust bunnies alone. Not me. Oh no, I am here for the jewelry, which I will explain in a minute. In this book, the dust bunny is an Elvis impersonator who wears a rhinestone cape and, by the way, flies around in his personal little hot air balloon made from a helium balloon and a cardboard basket. It's so freaking adorable that your teeth will ache. I'm not going to say that the author is pandering, but ... well, she's definitely playing to the crowd.... which is the definition of pandering.... so, I guess I am saying that.
Pander Bear is so great! He says everything I like!
And, speaking of Elvis, and yes, I've mentioned this before. The other thing that is OTT and campy in this book is the jewelry thing. The people here wear amber jewelry to help their psychic flow. So, the more amber jewelry, the better, right? Uh, yeah. It's a little hard to be attracted to the male character when he is described as wearing this:
Fontana wore amber. Even the buttons of his shirt and his cuff links were set with amber. So was his belt buckle, the face of his watch, and, of course, his seal ring.
yeah, that's the visual I get. And, I might live in the South, but Elvis does NOT rock my boat. By the time I was born, he was Fat Elvis and about to be Dead Elvis. I can't think of much that is less sexy than a man dripping in jewels, like the guys in these books.
So, basically, we have a series where the language is silly, there are ridiculously cute side-kicks, and men who are dripping in jewelry. Camp.
Will I keep reading? Oh, yeah. I'm a sucker for camp.
May 2, 2023
I love this universe and especially the dust bunnies and Elvis was a great addition to the dust bunny crew. I really liked this book. Fake/rushed relationship is one of my favorite tropes and since our two main characters agreed to get married almost immediately it definitely worked for me. I think at some point I need to go back and read these in order since the story definitely progresses between books, but for now I’ll finish in whatever scattered order I find them. I liked both main characters in this one and thought they meshed pretty well. I also liked the resolution on the drug running and missing retired ghost hunters from previous books.
May 1, 2018
Another good entry for the series. And again, you could easily start here if you like. I still suggest reading at least the first two before others, but you don't really have to.
This story was rather light, but I kind of enjoyed that. For one, it meant that there was a very, very bare minimum of PoV hopping. Only a couple really short shifts that weren't really bad guys so much as bad guy adjacent.
While I liked both protagonists, I didn't connect strongly with either. They were good but not great. I'm sure that's a personal taste situation rather than a reflection on their quality as characters. Likewise Sierra's dust bunny, Elvis. I'm not going to diss on the King, or anything, but even if you have elvisaphenalia surviving that far into the future, I'm pretty certain it wouldn't be ubiquitous enough for all the in jokes from so many different bystanders. So that broke immersion all on its own.
So yeah, it's a solid 3.5 stars that I'm rounding a generous four. I was entertained and I got three or four laugh-out-loud (literally) moments.
A note about Steamy: Low mid level steam. There are two almost perfunctory explicit sex scenes. That was actually kind of frustrating because their emotional involvement far outpaced their physical intimacy and that felt a bit strange.
This story was rather light, but I kind of enjoyed that. For one, it meant that there was a very, very bare minimum of PoV hopping. Only a couple really short shifts that weren't really bad guys so much as bad guy adjacent.
While I liked both protagonists, I didn't connect strongly with either. They were good but not great. I'm sure that's a personal taste situation rather than a reflection on their quality as characters. Likewise Sierra's dust bunny, Elvis. I'm not going to diss on the King, or anything, but even if you have elvisaphenalia surviving that far into the future, I'm pretty certain it wouldn't be ubiquitous enough for all the in jokes from so many different bystanders. So that broke immersion all on its own.
So yeah, it's a solid 3.5 stars that I'm rounding a generous four. I was entertained and I got three or four laugh-out-loud (literally) moments.
A note about Steamy: Low mid level steam. There are two almost perfunctory explicit sex scenes. That was actually kind of frustrating because their emotional involvement far outpaced their physical intimacy and that felt a bit strange.
November 16, 2020
Just as fun as the previous book, this one tells the story of Sierra, an investigative reporter for a tabloid, and Fontana, the new Guild Boss.
The two meet when Sierra interviews Fontana about the disappearances of retired guild members, and their interview somehow ends with them engaged to be married that very same day.
Turns out that Sierra has stumbled upon a conspiracy that Fontana will need her sources to uncover, while she will need his protection as the Boss's wife from the conspirators who will no doubt come after her.
What starts out as a marriage of convenience that is supposed to be temporary while they investigate Sierra's story, ends up with them falling in love instead.
Engaging story with a dust bunny Elvis to keep things light and fun.
The series continues with Obsidian Prey next.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Silver Master (Harmony, #4) ~ ★★★★ (08/11/2019)
✦ Ghost Hunter (Harmony, #3) ~ ★★★★ (04/04/2015)
✦ After Glow (Harmony, #2) ~ ★★★ (10/12/2014)
✦ After Dark (Harmony, #1) ~ ★★★ (20/09/2014)
✦ Bridal Jitters (Harmony, #0.5) ~ ★★★ (19/02/2013)
The two meet when Sierra interviews Fontana about the disappearances of retired guild members, and their interview somehow ends with them engaged to be married that very same day.
Turns out that Sierra has stumbled upon a conspiracy that Fontana will need her sources to uncover, while she will need his protection as the Boss's wife from the conspirators who will no doubt come after her.
What starts out as a marriage of convenience that is supposed to be temporary while they investigate Sierra's story, ends up with them falling in love instead.
Engaging story with a dust bunny Elvis to keep things light and fun.
The series continues with Obsidian Prey next.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Silver Master (Harmony, #4) ~ ★★★★ (08/11/2019)
✦ Ghost Hunter (Harmony, #3) ~ ★★★★ (04/04/2015)
✦ After Glow (Harmony, #2) ~ ★★★ (10/12/2014)
✦ After Dark (Harmony, #1) ~ ★★★ (20/09/2014)
✦ Bridal Jitters (Harmony, #0.5) ~ ★★★ (19/02/2013)
February 15, 2021
Review posted on Got Fiction? Book Blog
I haven't read one of these in a long time. I was cleaning out my desk and found a couple of these Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz books and after flipping through a few pages I was hooked.
If you haven't read one before, this author has 3 pen names, and 3 interconnecting series. The cool thing is all 3 series take place in different eras. The Jayne Castle books take place in the future on a world called Harmony that has been cut off from Earth for centuries. The alien world is full of psi energy and the previous inhabitants have left behind their cities and ruins. Many of the people in Harmony can manipulate the psi energy.
The "Ghost Hunters" aren't hunting actual ghosts, it's floating mass and they have to "de-rez" it to make things safe. So Fontana is the new guild boss for the ghost hunters and Sierra is a tabloid journalist who wants to expose the guild for the corrupt industry she is sure it is, but Fontana isn't like that. And her intuition tells her that instantly. But her articles have put her on the radar of some very bad people...and Fontana realizes this so he offers her marriage. He can use his position as the guild boss to protect her.
But what happens if it isn't enough?
Sierra and Fontana are a fun couple and I enjoyed their romance. I like that he appreciates Sierra's intuition and ambition. He never once made fun of her or her tabloid job. He took her seriously and I appreciated that. And for her part, she never let him get away with anything. They were good together.
This series is nice for when you want a low-angst Romantic Suspense. It's warm and easy and of course I can't forget about Elvis. Sierra's little dust bunny sidekick. He stole the show in every scene.
You don't really have to read all three series to enjoy this one, so what are you waiting for? Enjoy!
I haven't read one of these in a long time. I was cleaning out my desk and found a couple of these Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz books and after flipping through a few pages I was hooked.
If you haven't read one before, this author has 3 pen names, and 3 interconnecting series. The cool thing is all 3 series take place in different eras. The Jayne Castle books take place in the future on a world called Harmony that has been cut off from Earth for centuries. The alien world is full of psi energy and the previous inhabitants have left behind their cities and ruins. Many of the people in Harmony can manipulate the psi energy.
The "Ghost Hunters" aren't hunting actual ghosts, it's floating mass and they have to "de-rez" it to make things safe. So Fontana is the new guild boss for the ghost hunters and Sierra is a tabloid journalist who wants to expose the guild for the corrupt industry she is sure it is, but Fontana isn't like that. And her intuition tells her that instantly. But her articles have put her on the radar of some very bad people...and Fontana realizes this so he offers her marriage. He can use his position as the guild boss to protect her.
But what happens if it isn't enough?
Sierra and Fontana are a fun couple and I enjoyed their romance. I like that he appreciates Sierra's intuition and ambition. He never once made fun of her or her tabloid job. He took her seriously and I appreciated that. And for her part, she never let him get away with anything. They were good together.
This series is nice for when you want a low-angst Romantic Suspense. It's warm and easy and of course I can't forget about Elvis. Sierra's little dust bunny sidekick. He stole the show in every scene.
You don't really have to read all three series to enjoy this one, so what are you waiting for? Enjoy!
March 16, 2024
What can I say?...
Elvis the Dust Bunny RULES!!! Again :)
Elvis the Dust Bunny RULES!!! Again :)
March 30, 2018
I really enjoy these books, I don't need to concentrate overlay much to enjoy them. I liked both MCs, they didn't let themselves be defined by their families and they succeeded on their own merits.
October 24, 2018
One star less because the heroine annoyed me a little at the beginning. I absolutely loved the hero's determination. A big surprise at the end of the book with the resolution of the suspense.
February 4, 2015
I love this futuristic series. It takes place on another planet similar to earth. There are alien artifacts, and dangers underground. This area is protected, and governed by the Guild. Each sector has it's own boss. John Fontana has barely set up his office, when a tabloid reporter shows up to interview him. He has taken this post ,due to several things not adding up, in this sector. It seems friends of hers are disappearing right off the streets. They are retired tunnel workers, and are the guild's responsibility. There is also a new drug of choice, out there to which, no one can find the source. It all seems to be an inside job, but the last guild boss has been dismissed. Sierra, who seems more connected to society, than first thought, will not back off, and John feels she has put a target on her back. They agree to work together. To do this they agree to a temporary relationship, where he can keep her safe. Sparks of course fly, and tempers flare, attraction hits both of them. Then there is her dust bunt, Elvis. They are like large balls of lint with eyes, and teeth. They are harmless unless threatened. They pick their own friends, and are very funny, and loyal. I love these stories. There are all the adventures in the tunnels, and fighting creatures of the rain forest. It is a world set up by an alien race, but one they could not inhabit, and live. people settle there, and there is one adventure after another..Fun series to follow....
October 11, 2021
Part of the great Harmony re-read binge.
October 31, 2017
In this fifth volume of the Ghost Hunters series, we have the elements we've come to expect: feisty heroine who usually has a downer on ghost hunters, controlled, powerful, hunky hero, cute dust bunnies - the indigenous life form which likes to pair up with (usually) the heroine, a mystery of some kind involving murderer(s) who would stop at nothing, and lots of alien tech and psychic powers.
In brief, Harmony is a colony cut off from Earth for 200 years after being established in the late 21st century. During that time humans have developed psychic powers, perhaps from exposure to psychic energy from the ruins left by departed aliens, which each major city and town has been built around and which extend underground for unknown distances - plus are probably connected by the recently discovered artificial rainforest environment - although the author seems to have found the original powers developed in the first two books rather limiting. We now have various additional abilities which are known to have been brought from Earth by members of the Arcane Society - another of her series - and which do not depend on the mineral found on Harmony, named amber by the colonists, to provide a strengthening focus. Similarly, the ghost hunter talent - the ability to control the errant energy clouds which manifest in and around the underground catacombs, and which are a serious hazard to human explorers - has developed so that as well as its usual manifestation in controlling and manipulating green energy, we have encountered heroes who manipulate blue, silver and now dark energy, all of which have different properties than the usual green light.
As the story begins, reporter Sierra McIntyre is in the office of John Fontana, new chief of Crystal City's ghost hunter Guild. She has been doing a series for her paper alleging Guild involvement in drug manufacturing - a new drug called juice has had an unfortunate and rapid effect on some ex-Guild members who have become homeless addicts. Fontana has recently come into office to replace the former chief who was involved in corrupt activities, including serious drug trafficking. McIntyre is taken aback when Fontana suddenly proposes they enter a Marriage of Convenience that afternoon - he convinces her that her inquiries into the disappearance of the homeless ex-hunters has placed her in danger as well, something that is proven when two men in motorcycle gear attack her as she leaves her apartment to travel to the registrar office. Luckily she is able to reach the nearby tavern where she knows several retired Guild members who come to her rescue, and deliver her in time for her wedding, somewhat dishevelled and bruised.
Sierra is an unusual heroine for this series, rather a dilletante. Most of Castle's previous heroines are career businesswomen, often down on their luck due to previous adversity not of their own making, but trying to get their own businesses going. Sierra at first appears to be a crusading do-gooder as Fontana calls her, but she actually comes from a privileged background and has never settled on a vocation. She has tried one dead end job after another, her stint on a despised tabloid newsrag being the latest. We learn by the end of the story that, despite her zeal to get justice for the washed up guildsmen, and to find out what happened to those who disappeared, she is just as quick to quit the newspaper job for one her new husband provides. Also, unlike the heroines in the previous books, she has no special psychic ability. She has an unexplained claustrophobia, but that doesn't actually impede her from doing anything in the story. I wasn't that keen on her, to be honest, and it was difficult to grasp what Fontana saw in her.
As is usual for this series, the hero and heroine are strongly attracted to each other, and the man is convinced she is the only woman for him, but the heroine needs a lot of persuasion. Despite her friendship with the old guildsmen, Sierra has a low opinion of the Guild itself. The story of their ups and downs romantic journey is interwoven with danger from the motorcycle gang, who are soon shown as working for more powerful figures behind the scenes, and the resolution of the various threads of the drug running and disappearances. For light relief, we again have the heroine's companion dust bunny, this time a bit too cute perhaps with the author milking it for all she's worth: the dust bunny is called Elvis and has a little cloak, miniature pair of glasses and little guitar, plus he spends quite a bit of the time literally floating around on a balloon-powered platform in the newspaper offices. This and Sierra's character were both starting to grate a bit by the end, but the book does just about scrape a 3-star rating.
In brief, Harmony is a colony cut off from Earth for 200 years after being established in the late 21st century. During that time humans have developed psychic powers, perhaps from exposure to psychic energy from the ruins left by departed aliens, which each major city and town has been built around and which extend underground for unknown distances - plus are probably connected by the recently discovered artificial rainforest environment - although the author seems to have found the original powers developed in the first two books rather limiting. We now have various additional abilities which are known to have been brought from Earth by members of the Arcane Society - another of her series - and which do not depend on the mineral found on Harmony, named amber by the colonists, to provide a strengthening focus. Similarly, the ghost hunter talent - the ability to control the errant energy clouds which manifest in and around the underground catacombs, and which are a serious hazard to human explorers - has developed so that as well as its usual manifestation in controlling and manipulating green energy, we have encountered heroes who manipulate blue, silver and now dark energy, all of which have different properties than the usual green light.
As the story begins, reporter Sierra McIntyre is in the office of John Fontana, new chief of Crystal City's ghost hunter Guild. She has been doing a series for her paper alleging Guild involvement in drug manufacturing - a new drug called juice has had an unfortunate and rapid effect on some ex-Guild members who have become homeless addicts. Fontana has recently come into office to replace the former chief who was involved in corrupt activities, including serious drug trafficking. McIntyre is taken aback when Fontana suddenly proposes they enter a Marriage of Convenience that afternoon - he convinces her that her inquiries into the disappearance of the homeless ex-hunters has placed her in danger as well, something that is proven when two men in motorcycle gear attack her as she leaves her apartment to travel to the registrar office. Luckily she is able to reach the nearby tavern where she knows several retired Guild members who come to her rescue, and deliver her in time for her wedding, somewhat dishevelled and bruised.
Sierra is an unusual heroine for this series, rather a dilletante. Most of Castle's previous heroines are career businesswomen, often down on their luck due to previous adversity not of their own making, but trying to get their own businesses going. Sierra at first appears to be a crusading do-gooder as Fontana calls her, but she actually comes from a privileged background and has never settled on a vocation. She has tried one dead end job after another, her stint on a despised tabloid newsrag being the latest. We learn by the end of the story that, despite her zeal to get justice for the washed up guildsmen, and to find out what happened to those who disappeared, she is just as quick to quit the newspaper job for one her new husband provides. Also, unlike the heroines in the previous books, she has no special psychic ability. She has an unexplained claustrophobia, but that doesn't actually impede her from doing anything in the story. I wasn't that keen on her, to be honest, and it was difficult to grasp what Fontana saw in her.
As is usual for this series, the hero and heroine are strongly attracted to each other, and the man is convinced she is the only woman for him, but the heroine needs a lot of persuasion. Despite her friendship with the old guildsmen, Sierra has a low opinion of the Guild itself. The story of their ups and downs romantic journey is interwoven with danger from the motorcycle gang, who are soon shown as working for more powerful figures behind the scenes, and the resolution of the various threads of the drug running and disappearances. For light relief, we again have the heroine's companion dust bunny, this time a bit too cute perhaps with the author milking it for all she's worth: the dust bunny is called Elvis and has a little cloak, miniature pair of glasses and little guitar, plus he spends quite a bit of the time literally floating around on a balloon-powered platform in the newspaper offices. This and Sierra's character were both starting to grate a bit by the end, but the book does just about scrape a 3-star rating.
September 18, 2016
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
There were many things I really liked about this book despite the common formula that Jayne Castle uses on a regular basis. I like the new paranormal talents that continue to be introduced with each book. I like that the world of Harmony isn't static, and that things are continuously being discovered from alien history, to human history, to new and unknown abilities. I like that the characters are always likable and easy to follow. I like that the romances are steamy and sexy and fun. I like the wit and humor.
And in Dark Light, I also very much liked our main couple, Sierra and Fontana. Of course, as per usual, Fontana is the typical broody, alpha with some back story issues. Sierra was a bit hard to like in those first few paragraphs if only because reporters tend to be some of my least favorite character types--but she turns out to be lots of fun, laid back and righteous, and witty in her own way.
I liked the other characters introduced, even though we'll probably never see them again.
And I loved Elvis, the diva dust bunny, companion to Sierra, who loves his little Elvis cap and sunglasses, and loves to play new games. To be totally honest, as much as I like the main human characters in these books, they are always overshadowed by the dust bunnies. I don't think there's anything I don't love about dust bunnies and it makes me so happy to see them incorporated so naturally into the story.
Finally, I like how Jayne Castle is starting to officially incorporate the Arcane Society into the Harmony books. As soon as it was mentioned that Sierra's ability was of a psychic nature that she uses without the aid of tuned amber--the stone that helps the Harmony characters use their psi abilities--I had a feeling we were talking about the same types of psychic abilities from the other aforementioned series. And then it was confirmed, so I'm happy about that.
So it looks like we'll have more to look forward to in these books as the world becomes more extensive.
***
2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge
• COYER Summer Vacation 2016 -- Bingo Board Two | Square Y8 -- Futuristic
There were many things I really liked about this book despite the common formula that Jayne Castle uses on a regular basis. I like the new paranormal talents that continue to be introduced with each book. I like that the world of Harmony isn't static, and that things are continuously being discovered from alien history, to human history, to new and unknown abilities. I like that the characters are always likable and easy to follow. I like that the romances are steamy and sexy and fun. I like the wit and humor.
And in Dark Light, I also very much liked our main couple, Sierra and Fontana. Of course, as per usual, Fontana is the typical broody, alpha with some back story issues. Sierra was a bit hard to like in those first few paragraphs if only because reporters tend to be some of my least favorite character types--but she turns out to be lots of fun, laid back and righteous, and witty in her own way.
I liked the other characters introduced, even though we'll probably never see them again.
And I loved Elvis, the diva dust bunny, companion to Sierra, who loves his little Elvis cap and sunglasses, and loves to play new games. To be totally honest, as much as I like the main human characters in these books, they are always overshadowed by the dust bunnies. I don't think there's anything I don't love about dust bunnies and it makes me so happy to see them incorporated so naturally into the story.
Finally, I like how Jayne Castle is starting to officially incorporate the Arcane Society into the Harmony books. As soon as it was mentioned that Sierra's ability was of a psychic nature that she uses without the aid of tuned amber--the stone that helps the Harmony characters use their psi abilities--I had a feeling we were talking about the same types of psychic abilities from the other aforementioned series. And then it was confirmed, so I'm happy about that.
So it looks like we'll have more to look forward to in these books as the world becomes more extensive.
***
2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge
• COYER Summer Vacation 2016 -- Bingo Board Two | Square Y8 -- Futuristic
August 29, 2008
I'm loving the recent upswing in paranormal romance novels, but I must tell you that one of my favorite series is the 'Curtain/Ghost Hunter' series by Jayne Castle AKA Jayne Ann Krentz AKA Amanda Quick. The first book was written a little over 10 years ago and I was hooked. So whenever I get a new release, I put down whatever I'm reading at the time and gobble the new down. I've reread every book in this series at least 4-5 times and I know "Dark Light", the newest release, will be no exception.
Sierra is a tabloid reporter, now. She's also been hotel concierge, worked in an art gallery, a various other assorted short term jobs...in other words, she's still looking for her career path. Unlike all the others in her overachiever family. So far as a reporter, she's managed to piss off the local Guild. But hey, she did manage to score an interview with the new Guild Boss and ...Whoa, is he sexy! He makes her special senses sing! What's up with that?
There's a rumor that Hunters 'know' when they meet their mate. From the minute Sierra walks into new Guld Boss John Fontana's office, he knows she's the one. Unfortunately, she's also managed to stir up some trouble that appears to be putting her in danger and she doesn't appear willing to share her sources. So Fontana comes up with a great plan--he'll marry her!
I almost forgot about Elvis! I think he steals the show in this book. The fancy outfits with all the rhinestones are fabulous! And his special abilities...well, I don't want to give it away.
Once again, the perfect blend of romance, mystery, humor, and action. I don't know how she does it, but I'm so glad she does. My only beef is that now I'll have to wait another year or so for my next 'fix'.
If you miss the way Linda Howard used to write, if you like Krentz's 'Arcane Society' books, heck...if you like excellent romance, then you need to get off your duff and read these books. "Dark Light" is another one for my keeper shelf, just like all the rest in this series.
Sierra is a tabloid reporter, now. She's also been hotel concierge, worked in an art gallery, a various other assorted short term jobs...in other words, she's still looking for her career path. Unlike all the others in her overachiever family. So far as a reporter, she's managed to piss off the local Guild. But hey, she did manage to score an interview with the new Guild Boss and ...Whoa, is he sexy! He makes her special senses sing! What's up with that?
There's a rumor that Hunters 'know' when they meet their mate. From the minute Sierra walks into new Guld Boss John Fontana's office, he knows she's the one. Unfortunately, she's also managed to stir up some trouble that appears to be putting her in danger and she doesn't appear willing to share her sources. So Fontana comes up with a great plan--he'll marry her!
I almost forgot about Elvis! I think he steals the show in this book. The fancy outfits with all the rhinestones are fabulous! And his special abilities...well, I don't want to give it away.
Once again, the perfect blend of romance, mystery, humor, and action. I don't know how she does it, but I'm so glad she does. My only beef is that now I'll have to wait another year or so for my next 'fix'.
If you miss the way Linda Howard used to write, if you like Krentz's 'Arcane Society' books, heck...if you like excellent romance, then you need to get off your duff and read these books. "Dark Light" is another one for my keeper shelf, just like all the rest in this series.
October 18, 2016
Overall a quick, fun read. I enjoyed how the heroine was a reporter for a cringeworthy tabloid and I also loved all her coworkers.
April 3, 2017
Dark Light was basically just a stamping out of the usual stock elements present in all the Harmony books. The hero and heroine meet and enter into a "marriage of convenience" incredibly quickly and for poorly defined reasons, one or both of them has a dust bunny companion that plays a pivotal role in finding the corresponding kidnapped or lost human, at some point the hero will be required to "melt amber" in order to protect the heroine and they'll have sex either right before he passes out or after he regains consciousness, and the story wraps up within half a page of the hero and heroine admitting that they love each other while a whole gaggle of dust bunnies have a party somewhere close by.
That is pretty much the plot of every single Harmony book and Dark Light doesn't stray from that outline at all. Most of the time I don't mind the repetitive formula. I mean, every romance novel follows the basic "meet -> sex -> happily ever after" plot when you get right down to it; but what keeps the book interesting is how those stock elements are put together. Unfortunately, Dark Light didn't include enough interesting elements or character development to help me look past the boiler-plate plot.
Sierra and Fontana are already in the middle of their first meeting when the story opens up, so we didn't get to see their first glimpse of each other or read their inner thoughts about each other, etc.. Then Fontana proposes a marriage of convenience completely out of no where. It's only after the fact, in the next chapter, that we get a peek at Fontana's inner thoughts where he admits that he hadn't intended to propose to Sierra before meeting her, but once he saw her he felt this instant connection and just went for it. Leaving aside for a moment how ridiculous it is to propose even an MC after only knowing a person for an hour regardless of attraction, by the time we read this snippet from Fontana's mind it's too late to convince the reader that this proposal is anything but a plot contrivance. Blindsiding us with a proposal that doesn't make sense isn't romantic, it's off-putting. We need to feel a connection with and between the characters first! If we'd gotten to know the characters before the proposal, or at least read their inner monologues it would have been one thing; but as it was, all we got was "they're getting married because I say they are."
This poor start unfortunately sets the stage for the whole book. Since we as the reader are not emotionally invested in the marriage/relationship, the whole romance gets off on the wrong foot. Sierra constantly talks about how this is just a business arrangement and that's exactly what it feels like. There's no spark or sizzle between them. So when a line about Fontana getting irritated that Sierra keeps reminding everyone that this is just a MC gets thrown in, it seems weird and out of place because there basically IS no romance. It really IS just a business arrangement. Sierra seems completely unaffected by Fontana to the point where JC had to resort to getting her drunk before she'd even flirt with the him. Sierra shows much, MUCH more enthusiasm when discussing her work at a tabloid paper that publishes (completely fictitious) stories about vampires and alien abductions.
I had trouble relating to Sierra's character. Her big "troubled past" is that she's a trust fund baby from an incredibly rich, powerful, successful and psychically gifted family that dates back to the Arcane Society from the Amanda Quick and Jayne Anne Krentz books. Oh you poor, poor dear. However do you get out of bed in the morning?
Sierra might have been a touch more likeable if she'd been a real journalist who did the work because it was her one passion in life regardless of her upbringing, but that's not the case. Despite Sierra's cavalier disregard for her own safety while she pursues the story of the missing retired ghost hunters, we find out about mid-way through the book that she's only doing this job because she can't figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. Everyone else in her fabulously rich and successful family has a passion; a calling, and she doesn't. So she's bounced from one dead-end job to another, usually managing to get herself fired in the process, while she searches for her "thing". And by the end of the story she's moved on to yet another job, this one handed to her by her hubby Fontana, so obviously tabloid journalism wasn't her true calling either.
Her psychic talents weren't anything to write home about either. As usual we're told that she's an off-the-charts talent, just like all the Harmony heroines. However in Sierra's case she can't actually DO anything. She just supposedly has extra-strong intuition. You'd think she'd be able to use this gift to avoid getting into trouble but she doesn't. It's never used, not once in the whole story, to prevent her from needing to be rescued. And aside from her talent she's basically useless. She can't fight or use guns. She can't use amber to navigate the underground. She doesn't have any special knowledge that comes in handy. She can't even hike through the jungle at a pace that doesn't slow the hero down. Oh, and she's paralyzingly claustrophobic as well, for absolutely no reason. I admit that I skimmed some parts of this book (the recitation of how amber and ghost light and powers work on Harmony was really obtrusive and flow-breaking in this book so I flipped through some sections to get past these parts) so it's possible I just missed it, but as near as I could tell there was no "event" that caused Sierra to be claustrophobic. She just was. I know in real life people can have phobias with no cause but in a book it's weird to not give an explanation. And even the phobia felt like a plot contrivance because it was JUST intrusive enough to give the hero a chance to "admire" Sierra for not freaking out when they went into the catacombs, but not debilitating enough to prevent her from doing anything important.
All in all, Sierra was not my favorite heroine. Fontana was fine as the hero. Nothing particularly groundbreaking about his character. His "tortured past" was pretty token as well. He's got issues because he's a bastard. His father was in a covenant marriage with another woman when he had an affair with Fontana's mother and got her pregnant. He financially supported Fontana until the age of 18 without any fuss but was never around. That's it. As far as bad fictional dads go, he's not exactly Darth Vader. It was a weirdly dated hangup to give our hero. I mean, here in the 21st century people don't really care about that sort of thing anymore. So it's hard to believe that this futuristic world would revert to such a puritanical view of things. And in truth, no one in the story besides the hero seems to give a fig about his lineage so it was all much ado about nothing.
Aside from his daddy issues, Fontana did a decent job as the hero. He was protective of Sierra and fought like a champ when the story required it. It was just hard to understand why he was drawn to Sierra in the first place since there was no chemistry between them. The mystery plot and the villain(s) were pretty forgettable. It felt like a monster-of-the-week episode of some long-running sci-fi TV show. Nothing in the series will change as a result of the events so if you skip this book, you won't be missing anything.
That is pretty much the plot of every single Harmony book and Dark Light doesn't stray from that outline at all. Most of the time I don't mind the repetitive formula. I mean, every romance novel follows the basic "meet -> sex -> happily ever after" plot when you get right down to it; but what keeps the book interesting is how those stock elements are put together. Unfortunately, Dark Light didn't include enough interesting elements or character development to help me look past the boiler-plate plot.
Sierra and Fontana are already in the middle of their first meeting when the story opens up, so we didn't get to see their first glimpse of each other or read their inner thoughts about each other, etc.. Then Fontana proposes a marriage of convenience completely out of no where. It's only after the fact, in the next chapter, that we get a peek at Fontana's inner thoughts where he admits that he hadn't intended to propose to Sierra before meeting her, but once he saw her he felt this instant connection and just went for it. Leaving aside for a moment how ridiculous it is to propose even an MC after only knowing a person for an hour regardless of attraction, by the time we read this snippet from Fontana's mind it's too late to convince the reader that this proposal is anything but a plot contrivance. Blindsiding us with a proposal that doesn't make sense isn't romantic, it's off-putting. We need to feel a connection with and between the characters first! If we'd gotten to know the characters before the proposal, or at least read their inner monologues it would have been one thing; but as it was, all we got was "they're getting married because I say they are."
This poor start unfortunately sets the stage for the whole book. Since we as the reader are not emotionally invested in the marriage/relationship, the whole romance gets off on the wrong foot. Sierra constantly talks about how this is just a business arrangement and that's exactly what it feels like. There's no spark or sizzle between them. So when a line about Fontana getting irritated that Sierra keeps reminding everyone that this is just a MC gets thrown in, it seems weird and out of place because there basically IS no romance. It really IS just a business arrangement. Sierra seems completely unaffected by Fontana to the point where JC had to resort to getting her drunk before she'd even flirt with the him. Sierra shows much, MUCH more enthusiasm when discussing her work at a tabloid paper that publishes (completely fictitious) stories about vampires and alien abductions.
I had trouble relating to Sierra's character. Her big "troubled past" is that she's a trust fund baby from an incredibly rich, powerful, successful and psychically gifted family that dates back to the Arcane Society from the Amanda Quick and Jayne Anne Krentz books. Oh you poor, poor dear. However do you get out of bed in the morning?
Sierra might have been a touch more likeable if she'd been a real journalist who did the work because it was her one passion in life regardless of her upbringing, but that's not the case. Despite Sierra's cavalier disregard for her own safety while she pursues the story of the missing retired ghost hunters, we find out about mid-way through the book that she's only doing this job because she can't figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. Everyone else in her fabulously rich and successful family has a passion; a calling, and she doesn't. So she's bounced from one dead-end job to another, usually managing to get herself fired in the process, while she searches for her "thing". And by the end of the story she's moved on to yet another job, this one handed to her by her hubby Fontana, so obviously tabloid journalism wasn't her true calling either.
Her psychic talents weren't anything to write home about either. As usual we're told that she's an off-the-charts talent, just like all the Harmony heroines. However in Sierra's case she can't actually DO anything. She just supposedly has extra-strong intuition. You'd think she'd be able to use this gift to avoid getting into trouble but she doesn't. It's never used, not once in the whole story, to prevent her from needing to be rescued. And aside from her talent she's basically useless. She can't fight or use guns. She can't use amber to navigate the underground. She doesn't have any special knowledge that comes in handy. She can't even hike through the jungle at a pace that doesn't slow the hero down. Oh, and she's paralyzingly claustrophobic as well, for absolutely no reason. I admit that I skimmed some parts of this book (the recitation of how amber and ghost light and powers work on Harmony was really obtrusive and flow-breaking in this book so I flipped through some sections to get past these parts) so it's possible I just missed it, but as near as I could tell there was no "event" that caused Sierra to be claustrophobic. She just was. I know in real life people can have phobias with no cause but in a book it's weird to not give an explanation. And even the phobia felt like a plot contrivance because it was JUST intrusive enough to give the hero a chance to "admire" Sierra for not freaking out when they went into the catacombs, but not debilitating enough to prevent her from doing anything important.
All in all, Sierra was not my favorite heroine. Fontana was fine as the hero. Nothing particularly groundbreaking about his character. His "tortured past" was pretty token as well. He's got issues because he's a bastard. His father was in a covenant marriage with another woman when he had an affair with Fontana's mother and got her pregnant. He financially supported Fontana until the age of 18 without any fuss but was never around. That's it. As far as bad fictional dads go, he's not exactly Darth Vader. It was a weirdly dated hangup to give our hero. I mean, here in the 21st century people don't really care about that sort of thing anymore. So it's hard to believe that this futuristic world would revert to such a puritanical view of things. And in truth, no one in the story besides the hero seems to give a fig about his lineage so it was all much ado about nothing.
Aside from his daddy issues, Fontana did a decent job as the hero. He was protective of Sierra and fought like a champ when the story required it. It was just hard to understand why he was drawn to Sierra in the first place since there was no chemistry between them. The mystery plot and the villain(s) were pretty forgettable. It felt like a monster-of-the-week episode of some long-running sci-fi TV show. Nothing in the series will change as a result of the events so if you skip this book, you won't be missing anything.
August 20, 2021
Dark Light
4 Stars
Intrepid tabloid journalist, Sienna McIntyre, bites off more than she can chew when she confronts Crystal City's new Guild Boss, John Fontana, over the disappearance of several former ghost hunters. Realizing that Sienna's investigation not only imperils the Guild, but also places her life in danger, Fontana convinces her to enter into a Marriage of Convenience for her own protection. But how can Sienna protect her heart from her new husband...
While not the best installment in the series, Dark Light contains all of the elements that make Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz a mainstay of the romance genre. Sienna and Fontana are very appealing both as individuals and as a couple. Sienna's occupation as a tabloid journalist has the potential for going seriously wrong, but Krentz presents her as someone who truly cares about others as well as revealing the truth (albeit the Curtain is hardly a source of reliable information). Fontana is a typical stoic Krentz hero, but this is why we love them.
The mystery itself is pretty straightforward with some exciting scenes. While it was initally difficult to wrap my head around the setting on Harmony and the strange terminology, I am getting used to it now. The inclusion of references to traditional psychic abilities as well as the Arcane Society opens up the series to new directions.
4 Stars
Intrepid tabloid journalist, Sienna McIntyre, bites off more than she can chew when she confronts Crystal City's new Guild Boss, John Fontana, over the disappearance of several former ghost hunters. Realizing that Sienna's investigation not only imperils the Guild, but also places her life in danger, Fontana convinces her to enter into a Marriage of Convenience for her own protection. But how can Sienna protect her heart from her new husband...
While not the best installment in the series, Dark Light contains all of the elements that make Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz a mainstay of the romance genre. Sienna and Fontana are very appealing both as individuals and as a couple. Sienna's occupation as a tabloid journalist has the potential for going seriously wrong, but Krentz presents her as someone who truly cares about others as well as revealing the truth (albeit the Curtain is hardly a source of reliable information). Fontana is a typical stoic Krentz hero, but this is why we love them.
The mystery itself is pretty straightforward with some exciting scenes. While it was initally difficult to wrap my head around the setting on Harmony and the strange terminology, I am getting used to it now. The inclusion of references to traditional psychic abilities as well as the Arcane Society opens up the series to new directions.
November 21, 2023
Exciting, futuristic romantic suspense
Sierra McIntyre is the scion of a wealthy, elite, extended family in another city besides the one in which this story is set. She has powerful intuition that she does not need to rez with amber to utilize. Her family is part of the Arcane Society, who are typically matched with other members of the Arcane Society. She has an older female relative who is a psychically gifted matchmaker, who matched her with a successful businessman, whom she ultimately decided not to marry. She became convinced that his primary reason for wanting to marry her was to utilize her intuition to accumulate additional power and wealth. She is an idealist, and she wants much more from marriage than that. All of her siblings have been very successful in prestigious careers, but Sierra has had trouble committing herself to any one, particular career path, and has, instead, experimented with a variety of jobs over the years. During the previous six months, she has been working as an investigative reporter at a tabloid that constantly posts stories about aliens, because the owner of the paper is obsessed with them. Her main focus for some time now has been exposing corruption in the local ghost hunter guild. She has written repeatedly about homeless, retired ghost hunters who have, in her opinion, been irresponsibly abandoned by the local ghost hunter guild.
John Fontana is the new guild boss in town. He defeated the former corrupt guild boss in a hunter duel. He and Sierra first meet when he allows her to interview him for her paper. The two of them are instantly physically and psychically attracted to each other. Sierra is shocked when Fontana informs her that he believes she is validly onto something with the conspiracy theory she has been writing articles about, that there is an alien lab in the mysterious, underground alien jungle, and it is producing a substance called ghost juice, that homeless ghost hunters are becoming addicted to. He asks her to enter a marriage of convenience with him so that they can have a viable cover to work together as a team to defeat the villains behind the conspiracy.
Sierra has an adorable dust bunny companion called Elvis and/or the King. A burned-out, ghost hunter, named Jake, who is addicted to ghost juice and lives on the street, is one of Sierra's chief informants about the conspiracy she has been covering. He is extremely fond of Elvis and has made a miniature star's dressing room for the dust bunny as well as a tiny cape and sunglasses. Jake and Elvis are a crucial and highly entertaining part of the solution of the central mystery of this novel.
No ages are provided for the two romantic protagonists, but given that Jayne Ann Krentz's heroines are typically between the ages of 28-31, and her heroes are virtually always between the ages of 37-39, I would assume that they are around those ages. Sierra and Fontana are highly sympathetic protagonists. Each is psychically strong and morally upright, and there is a great deal of passionate intensity, both emotionally and sensually, between the two of them. The action-adventure portion of this paranormal, romantic-suspense novel is extremely well done, and there is a fun secondary romance between Sierra's BFF and Fontana's BFF.
I have read this novel multiple times over the years since it was first released in 2008. I originally purchased it in paperback, then repurchased it in Kindle and audiobook format. The last few times I have read it, including this week, was in audiobook format. Laural Merlington does an excellent job with the narration.
Sierra McIntyre is the scion of a wealthy, elite, extended family in another city besides the one in which this story is set. She has powerful intuition that she does not need to rez with amber to utilize. Her family is part of the Arcane Society, who are typically matched with other members of the Arcane Society. She has an older female relative who is a psychically gifted matchmaker, who matched her with a successful businessman, whom she ultimately decided not to marry. She became convinced that his primary reason for wanting to marry her was to utilize her intuition to accumulate additional power and wealth. She is an idealist, and she wants much more from marriage than that. All of her siblings have been very successful in prestigious careers, but Sierra has had trouble committing herself to any one, particular career path, and has, instead, experimented with a variety of jobs over the years. During the previous six months, she has been working as an investigative reporter at a tabloid that constantly posts stories about aliens, because the owner of the paper is obsessed with them. Her main focus for some time now has been exposing corruption in the local ghost hunter guild. She has written repeatedly about homeless, retired ghost hunters who have, in her opinion, been irresponsibly abandoned by the local ghost hunter guild.
John Fontana is the new guild boss in town. He defeated the former corrupt guild boss in a hunter duel. He and Sierra first meet when he allows her to interview him for her paper. The two of them are instantly physically and psychically attracted to each other. Sierra is shocked when Fontana informs her that he believes she is validly onto something with the conspiracy theory she has been writing articles about, that there is an alien lab in the mysterious, underground alien jungle, and it is producing a substance called ghost juice, that homeless ghost hunters are becoming addicted to. He asks her to enter a marriage of convenience with him so that they can have a viable cover to work together as a team to defeat the villains behind the conspiracy.
Sierra has an adorable dust bunny companion called Elvis and/or the King. A burned-out, ghost hunter, named Jake, who is addicted to ghost juice and lives on the street, is one of Sierra's chief informants about the conspiracy she has been covering. He is extremely fond of Elvis and has made a miniature star's dressing room for the dust bunny as well as a tiny cape and sunglasses. Jake and Elvis are a crucial and highly entertaining part of the solution of the central mystery of this novel.
No ages are provided for the two romantic protagonists, but given that Jayne Ann Krentz's heroines are typically between the ages of 28-31, and her heroes are virtually always between the ages of 37-39, I would assume that they are around those ages. Sierra and Fontana are highly sympathetic protagonists. Each is psychically strong and morally upright, and there is a great deal of passionate intensity, both emotionally and sensually, between the two of them. The action-adventure portion of this paranormal, romantic-suspense novel is extremely well done, and there is a fun secondary romance between Sierra's BFF and Fontana's BFF.
I have read this novel multiple times over the years since it was first released in 2008. I originally purchased it in paperback, then repurchased it in Kindle and audiobook format. The last few times I have read it, including this week, was in audiobook format. Laural Merlington does an excellent job with the narration.
June 18, 2023
UPDATE: I just purchased and listened to the audiobook for Jayne Ann Krentz’s Harmony series book, DARK LIGHT, voiced by Laural Merlington. I found this another way to enjoy Krentz’s light Fantasy novels. Merlington did a nice job pulling me into the story - a delightful escape for a few hours. I finished the audio in a day.
ORIGINAL POST:
Quote> “Never leave anyone behind for ghost bait.” Ghost Hunter Guild boss John Fontana.
This is one of my favorite fantasy series - so for me, nearly a 5* rating. I am rereading it for the 3rd time. Dark Light is a fantasy novel with its setting in the distant future on a far away planet called Harmony. Colonists from earth first settled Harmony 200 yrs prior (to the the series beginning). The settlers have since lost their ability to return to earth, so they now concentrate their energies on living, thriving, and investigating their “new” home planet - which is quite different from earth. Some families have developed various paranormal natures that seem to have evolved from the atmosphere over time. This provides those individuals, and others of a similar tendency, with particular advantages on Harmony. A select group of these individuals with such talents are called - Ghost Hunters. The Ghost Hunter series is light-hearted, quickly paced, with adventure & romance. I find them great fun. :D
Dark Light is bk#5 in the series; it can be read in order or as a stand-alone book. Characters from previous novels in the series are briefly mentioned but it is not absolutely necessary to have read them first. If you enjoy Dark Light I suggest the reader return to the earlier books in the series (Short story Bridal Jitters, then After Dark, After Glow, Ghost Hunter & Silver Master precede Dark Light, in that order). See Jayne Ann Krentz’s web site for the complete reading order.
ORIGINAL POST:
Quote> “Never leave anyone behind for ghost bait.” Ghost Hunter Guild boss John Fontana.
This is one of my favorite fantasy series - so for me, nearly a 5* rating. I am rereading it for the 3rd time. Dark Light is a fantasy novel with its setting in the distant future on a far away planet called Harmony. Colonists from earth first settled Harmony 200 yrs prior (to the the series beginning). The settlers have since lost their ability to return to earth, so they now concentrate their energies on living, thriving, and investigating their “new” home planet - which is quite different from earth. Some families have developed various paranormal natures that seem to have evolved from the atmosphere over time. This provides those individuals, and others of a similar tendency, with particular advantages on Harmony. A select group of these individuals with such talents are called - Ghost Hunters. The Ghost Hunter series is light-hearted, quickly paced, with adventure & romance. I find them great fun. :D
Dark Light is bk#5 in the series; it can be read in order or as a stand-alone book. Characters from previous novels in the series are briefly mentioned but it is not absolutely necessary to have read them first. If you enjoy Dark Light I suggest the reader return to the earlier books in the series (Short story Bridal Jitters, then After Dark, After Glow, Ghost Hunter & Silver Master precede Dark Light, in that order). See Jayne Ann Krentz’s web site for the complete reading order.
September 25, 2022
Dark Light 2022 relisten: Not much left to say about this one. I mean, Elvis IS in the building!
2021 re-re-listen. That's what happens when I marathon listen due to new release. I do believe Elvis is one of my favorite dust bunnies and Sierra and Fontana are sooo good together. Fun times.
2021 re-listen: Elvis is still in the building and this is still a fun one.
2018 re-listen review: The Elvis references are many. The story is a good one. A fun read and Joyce Bean's narration is spot on.
Original review: Ah, Fontana and Sierra. And Elvis is in the house. John Fontanna is the newly-named head of Crystal City's Hunter's Guild. Sierra, youngest and least focused daughter of a society family, is a reporter for the local tabloid--except her stories are a serious bit of investigative journalism, which makes her a pain in the Guild's (and Fontana's) collective rears. Still, the chemistry sizzles between them and a marriage of convenience, tacky as that seems to Sierra, is just the ticket. Add in retired Ghost Hunters, aliens, and Elvis the dust bunny, this story rocks along with some suspense, twists and turns worthy of the alien catacombs, and did I mention a dust bunny who dresses up as Elvis? Fun times.
2021 re-re-listen. That's what happens when I marathon listen due to new release. I do believe Elvis is one of my favorite dust bunnies and Sierra and Fontana are sooo good together. Fun times.
2021 re-listen: Elvis is still in the building and this is still a fun one.
2018 re-listen review: The Elvis references are many. The story is a good one. A fun read and Joyce Bean's narration is spot on.
Original review: Ah, Fontana and Sierra. And Elvis is in the house. John Fontanna is the newly-named head of Crystal City's Hunter's Guild. Sierra, youngest and least focused daughter of a society family, is a reporter for the local tabloid--except her stories are a serious bit of investigative journalism, which makes her a pain in the Guild's (and Fontana's) collective rears. Still, the chemistry sizzles between them and a marriage of convenience, tacky as that seems to Sierra, is just the ticket. Add in retired Ghost Hunters, aliens, and Elvis the dust bunny, this story rocks along with some suspense, twists and turns worthy of the alien catacombs, and did I mention a dust bunny who dresses up as Elvis? Fun times.
February 26, 2016
I've read the four books proceeding this one (After Dark, After Glow, Ghost Hunter and Silver Master) plus the novella that (I believe) started it all, Bridal Jitters and to date I think that other then the duo in Bridal Jitters I haven't fully liked any of the romantic couples featured (to be fair its the same couple in After Dark and After Glow) until this book.
Sierra was a little too reckless to be honest, but other then that I really enjoyed the interaction between Sierra and Fontana. That said the book has 'two' endings, depending on how you look at it. The bad guy is seemingly found out, but a twist near the end makes that just turn upside down slightly. The twist made sense, but was tacked on and not given a lot of development before being pounced on the reader.
The world of Harmony is such an intriguing adventure to be sure. Endless possibilities, but the details given about the original inhabitants of the planet the humans call 'Harmony' make me wish this was more of a scifi book series that would give us a whole book or at least novella with more concrete clues then 'educated' guesses.
Sierra was a little too reckless to be honest, but other then that I really enjoyed the interaction between Sierra and Fontana. That said the book has 'two' endings, depending on how you look at it. The bad guy is seemingly found out, but a twist near the end makes that just turn upside down slightly. The twist made sense, but was tacked on and not given a lot of development before being pounced on the reader.
The world of Harmony is such an intriguing adventure to be sure. Endless possibilities, but the details given about the original inhabitants of the planet the humans call 'Harmony' make me wish this was more of a scifi book series that would give us a whole book or at least novella with more concrete clues then 'educated' guesses.
February 10, 2012
Woohoo! Another 'freak' Ghost Hunter talent. And the heroine wasn’t that annoying either. This series keeps getting better and better.
Tight plot, quick pacing, gripping suspense, possible alien threat, love at first sight (don’t you just love one of those), heavy denial of love at first sight (me likey), great chemistry, even greater attraction, cute couple, twisted villain (I didn’t see that one coming, great surprise), funky motley crew of journalists, some magic moments in the alien jungle...And a dust-bunny dressed like Elvis.
The hero was yummy, the heroine was feisty, they ran for their lives, they worked wonderfully together to uncover the conspiracy within the Guild, they both almost died...And the ‘guy thing’ in the end was absolutely priceless. ;)
Tight plot, quick pacing, gripping suspense, possible alien threat, love at first sight (don’t you just love one of those), heavy denial of love at first sight (me likey), great chemistry, even greater attraction, cute couple, twisted villain (I didn’t see that one coming, great surprise), funky motley crew of journalists, some magic moments in the alien jungle...And a dust-bunny dressed like Elvis.
The hero was yummy, the heroine was feisty, they ran for their lives, they worked wonderfully together to uncover the conspiracy within the Guild, they both almost died...And the ‘guy thing’ in the end was absolutely priceless. ;)
August 5, 2015
I really liked this one. The male leads talent was fun to read about. I liked him a lot - a nice blend of confidence and insecurity. The female lead was great as well. I liked the family issues she had to deal with. The mystery was a nice one, and the new find in the jungle was great. Overall, one of my favorite Harmony books so far.
October 17, 2017
This is another book in the series in which the characters get married immediately for some reason. It's a common plot in this series and I don't mind it.
I liked both the hero and the heroine and enjoyed this book.
I liked both the hero and the heroine and enjoyed this book.
November 11, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
August 26, 2020
At this point in the series, the world and lore are pretty fleshed out, so the story flows well.
The dust bunny is the star of the book, as always. If any of these don't have a dust bunny, I will be disappointed.
My only issue was toward the end. I don't recall anywhere in the previous books saying that triggering an illusion trap would disarm it. I could be misremembering, though.
The dust bunny is the star of the book, as always. If any of these don't have a dust bunny, I will be disappointed.
My only issue was toward the end. I don't recall anywhere in the previous books saying that triggering an illusion trap would disarm it. I could be misremembering, though.
April 22, 2020
O poveste plină de suspans, cu numeroase aventuri, o căsătorie de conveniență, momente fierbinți, pericole extreme și un final absolut surprinzător, o carte tocmai bună de savurat!
Recenzia mea:
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/ser...
Recenzia mea:
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/ser...
March 28, 2019
In the fifth Harmony series book, reporter Sierra McIntyre is investigating a powerful new drug called Ghost Juice and the disappearances of several drug-addicted ex-hunters from the local guild. When the new guild boss promises her an interview, she never expected he would propose marriage.
As the head of the organization, it’s John Fontana’s job to stop the drug flow in his city and to find the missing hunters. Since his and Sierra’s investigations are running side by side, Fontana wants to team up. As the boss’s wife, she’d be safe from their mutual enemies, and they can work together to take down the bad guys.
Fontana and Sierra are amazing together. Though the book takes place within the span of a few days, they fall in love fast but it’s believable.
Though I really liked this book and the series, it’s getting repetitive. Most of the hunter population on Harmony can only harness green ghost light. Blue, silver, and now dark light has been introduced in the last three books. It’s rare when hunters can access different colors of light on the wavelength spectrum, but since it’s been the same plot device for the past three books, it doesn’t seem all that special anymore.
The dust bunnies are my favorite part of this series. Sierra’s bunny, Elvis, loves the spotlight. He wears a leather jacket and serenades other bunnies with his little guitar. I absolutely love this, but it doesn’t make much sense. When the humans settled on Harmony two hundred years ago, they didn’t bring over any art with them. Since music is an art form, I don’t understand how the humans would even know about rock and roll legend Elvis and why the bunny would choose to impersonate him.
Even though I find this book similar to the previous few books, I really enjoyed it and plan to read more in the series.
4 Stars
Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
As the head of the organization, it’s John Fontana’s job to stop the drug flow in his city and to find the missing hunters. Since his and Sierra’s investigations are running side by side, Fontana wants to team up. As the boss’s wife, she’d be safe from their mutual enemies, and they can work together to take down the bad guys.
Fontana and Sierra are amazing together. Though the book takes place within the span of a few days, they fall in love fast but it’s believable.
Though I really liked this book and the series, it’s getting repetitive. Most of the hunter population on Harmony can only harness green ghost light. Blue, silver, and now dark light has been introduced in the last three books. It’s rare when hunters can access different colors of light on the wavelength spectrum, but since it’s been the same plot device for the past three books, it doesn’t seem all that special anymore.
The dust bunnies are my favorite part of this series. Sierra’s bunny, Elvis, loves the spotlight. He wears a leather jacket and serenades other bunnies with his little guitar. I absolutely love this, but it doesn’t make much sense. When the humans settled on Harmony two hundred years ago, they didn’t bring over any art with them. Since music is an art form, I don’t understand how the humans would even know about rock and roll legend Elvis and why the bunny would choose to impersonate him.
Even though I find this book similar to the previous few books, I really enjoyed it and plan to read more in the series.
4 Stars
Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
July 2, 2018
It was a real scorcher of a day weather-wise and I decided to head for the lake, pull up a chair and read a scorcher of a novel as well. I have been obsessed with the Harmony books for the last little while. I love how whimsical the dust bunnies are, I love the magic, and I love the love. I enjoy knowing that I am going to get a solid and interesting story, but know that the characters will all have their own personalities and quirks, each installment is not simple a cookie-cutter version of the one before.
In general the love-at-first-sight trope irritates the green hell out of me but in these stories it actually seems to make perfect sense. For Sierra and Fontana's story I had a little bit of a hard time with the premise that they needed to enter a marriage of convenience in order to covertly investigate the goings on, but I read futuristic paranormal romance, so I can suspend a little belief.
One of the highlights of this book for me were all of the secondary characters. The "Curtain" reporters felt like a tight-knit group of people who welcomed Sierra when she needed kindred spirits to help her feel like less of an underachiever in her family. The ex-hunters from the "Green Gate" oozed honour and chivalry, making the idea that Sierra would persue her story of the missing ex-hunters seem very natural. I liked the chemistry between the leads and loved that they seemed to compliment each other very well, working together to get to the bottom of the mysteries they were trying to solve. It was, for me, one of the more compelling storylines of the Harmony novels, let's just say it really rezzed with me.
In general the love-at-first-sight trope irritates the green hell out of me but in these stories it actually seems to make perfect sense. For Sierra and Fontana's story I had a little bit of a hard time with the premise that they needed to enter a marriage of convenience in order to covertly investigate the goings on, but I read futuristic paranormal romance, so I can suspend a little belief.
One of the highlights of this book for me were all of the secondary characters. The "Curtain" reporters felt like a tight-knit group of people who welcomed Sierra when she needed kindred spirits to help her feel like less of an underachiever in her family. The ex-hunters from the "Green Gate" oozed honour and chivalry, making the idea that Sierra would persue her story of the missing ex-hunters seem very natural. I liked the chemistry between the leads and loved that they seemed to compliment each other very well, working together to get to the bottom of the mysteries they were trying to solve. It was, for me, one of the more compelling storylines of the Harmony novels, let's just say it really rezzed with me.
March 23, 2018
Thanks to Overdrive, I have blasted my way through most of Jayne Castle’s Ghost Hunter novels in random order. I think I’ll take a break and then will probably finish them. They are all pretty much the same, which isn’t a criticism. A lot of series like this have a sameness to them. In this case there’s a girl, a guy, and a dust bunny. Oh, and some kind of psychic or paranormal senses. You just kind of have to go with it to enjoy these. And I have. Great literature, these are not, and yet I don’t feel like the time has been wasted.
Since this is really just random thoughts about the series, I’ll say I’ve liked the books with ghost hunters, guild bosses, and catacombs the best. Then I liked going to the island of Rainshadow and into the preserve. From about book 7 on, they are mixed in with the Arcane novels. Rather than the green ghosts and amber there is more focus on psychic abilities and the Arcane society (a tie in to another series she writes). I prefer the original corny covers to the man ones, and I really hate the headless women in leather covers. As you can probably guess, they have nothing to do with what's actually in the books. I would recommend reading the first 2 in order to get a feel for things and then there's no reason why you can't jump around. That's what I did.
Since this is really just random thoughts about the series, I’ll say I’ve liked the books with ghost hunters, guild bosses, and catacombs the best. Then I liked going to the island of Rainshadow and into the preserve. From about book 7 on, they are mixed in with the Arcane novels. Rather than the green ghosts and amber there is more focus on psychic abilities and the Arcane society (a tie in to another series she writes). I prefer the original corny covers to the man ones, and I really hate the headless women in leather covers. As you can probably guess, they have nothing to do with what's actually in the books. I would recommend reading the first 2 in order to get a feel for things and then there's no reason why you can't jump around. That's what I did.
March 26, 2018
Just another romantic suspense with a paranormal twist by Jayne Castle.
Once you've read one of her books set in Harmony, you easily catch the pattern she uses: big alpha male with psychic powers meets girl with talents too, they feel an irresistible and instant attraction and they have to fight some villains to end up happily ever after together.
Entertaining and light reading to have a good time without having to think a lot.
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Justo otra novela de suspense romántico con un toque de paranormal de Jayne Castle.
Una vez has leído uno de sus libros ambientado en Harmony, puedes ver fácilmente el patrón que usa: un gran macho alfa con poderes psíquicos conoce a la chica que también tiene talentos, sienten una atracción irresistible e instantánea y tienen que luchar contra varios villanos para terminar comiendo perdices juntos.
Lectura entretenida y ligera para pasar un buen rato sin tener que pensar mucho.
Once you've read one of her books set in Harmony, you easily catch the pattern she uses: big alpha male with psychic powers meets girl with talents too, they feel an irresistible and instant attraction and they have to fight some villains to end up happily ever after together.
Entertaining and light reading to have a good time without having to think a lot.
=============================================================
Justo otra novela de suspense romántico con un toque de paranormal de Jayne Castle.
Una vez has leído uno de sus libros ambientado en Harmony, puedes ver fácilmente el patrón que usa: un gran macho alfa con poderes psíquicos conoce a la chica que también tiene talentos, sienten una atracción irresistible e instantánea y tienen que luchar contra varios villanos para terminar comiendo perdices juntos.
Lectura entretenida y ligera para pasar un buen rato sin tener que pensar mucho.
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